Once King Parikshit of Ayodhya went hunting. He saw a stag and chased it. It ran and ran till the king was completely seperated from his men. Presently the staf disappeared. And the king could not find trace of it.
As the king stood irresolutely he heard a sweet melody which filled him with joy. He went towards the source of this music and saw a very beautiful young lady. He found her as much a treat to his eyes as her song was to his ears.
“Who are you?” the kind asked the young Lady. “Why are you along here? Who is your Husband?”
“I am not married”, she replied. “My name is Shobhana”.
“Really!” said the king, greatly pleased. “Will you be my wife!”/
“I will”, said the young lady, “if you promise never to take me near water”.
Making the required promise, the king married Sobhana and lived with her happily for some time.
One day he was taking the air with his wife in the garden when they came near the bathing pool. The king forgot his promised and asked his wife to have bath along with him.
The moment Shobhana entered the pool she disappeared. He anxiously had the pool searched. His servants came upon a giant frog.
The king suspected that this frog must have swallowed his wife. He gave a peremptory order that frogs in his kingdom shall be destroyed.
Having heard about this cruel order the frong king rushed to Ayodhya and said to king Parikshit:
“O king Shobhana is my daughter. I took her home knowing that she married you. Do stop killing frogs, I beg you. I shall restore Shobhana to you. Which he did.
This way King got his queen back.
Moral of the story : One should always abide by one’s promise and honour their words.
(Source : Chandama August, 1955)
